Letters to the Editor: Re-establish California forests

Wild horses roam on the land of the Modoc National Forest, a 1,654,392-acre national forest in the High Desert near the city of Alturas in Northern California, on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018 in Alturas, Calif. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

Photo: TNS

Our California state and federal forests have been decimated by beetles, drought and fire. We are losing the habitat for our diverse species of plants and animals; and our most effective biological buffer against climate change.

To preserve this vital source of oxygen, carbon sequestration and biodiversity, we must immediately invest in intensive replanting. Fire prevention is not enough. In the past, forests would recover on their own.

Based on climate change, this is no longer the case. Without our active intervention, much of our forest land will likely revert to parched ground and inadequate scrub lands. We need to properly re-establish our forests as the best natural mitigation effort we can now mount toward the destructive effects of climate change. Trees take time to grow, so we need to act now. Our future depends on it.

Bill Mayben, Fairfield

Related Stories

With June, also known as Pride Month to the LGBTQ community, only weeks away, I’m looking forward to celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall rebellion that gave birth to the modern gay rights movement. However, the name of that place in New York City where this event occurred has been co-opted.

America now has a brazen, lawless president who plans to stonewall every congressional attempt to get testimony about whether or not he obstructed justice, as well as getting access to his tax returns.

And whereas some of the Stonewall rioters in 1969 were put in jail, this president seems to think that he will never face such an outcome. But if, after the 2020 presidential election, he becomes “Citizen Trump,” perhaps he won’t be able to avoid justice and a lengthy imprisonment.

Finn MacLaughlin, Daly City

Historic decision

I applaud wholeheartedly the Walnut Creek City Council’s unanimous vote on May 7 to raise the rainbow flag over the city during LGBTQ Pride Month in June.

The council’s historic decision declares to the LGBTQ community that Walnut Creek is a place everyone can call home, regardless of their sexual orientation, ethnicity or religion. During these divisive times, I am proud to see the city take a stand against discrimination in all its forms, and I was proud to add my voice to the overwhelming number of Walnut Creek residents who advocated mightily for the council’s yes vote.

Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan,

16th Assembly District, San Ramon

Focus on climate

Regarding “East Bay hills eyed in oil drilling plan” (Page One, May 10) and “Study: Air quality harmed as oil production booms” (Nation, May 10): The cognitive dissonance of climate news this week has been so loud it’s painful. Mass extinctions in the Anthropocene. Ocean acidification is happening faster than previously thought.

Yet the Trump administration is opening up the possibility of oil drilling in the Bay Area?

Meanwhile booming oil production in Texas is exposing residents to noxious fumes that are also powerful greenhouse gases.

Those of us who diligently avoid food waste and walk or bike when we can could be forgiven for throwing our hands up in defeat. And we would be not only forgiven, but right. Individual actions will only take us so far. Unless you are an individual who is in Congress.

Following the passage of the Climate Action Now Act (HR9), which endeavors to keep us on track with the Paris accords, implementation of the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (HR763) would give us the tools we need to meet those targets. Our congressional representatives need to hear us demand a livable climate; otherwise this critical issue becomes just more background noise.

Eliana Armstrong, San Mateo

Gray wolf protection

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants to remove federal Endangered Species Act protections from gray wolves in the lower 48 states. But wolves aren’t recovered yet. This would put the species under state management.

In states that already manage their own wolves, aggressive methods are used, including increased sport hunting and trapping, shoot on sight and full pack removals. Wolves may never recover if federal protection is removed now.

Special interests want to sport hunt wolves for entertainment and have misguided ideas that killing wolves saves livestock and makes more deer and elk. Actually, wolves keep ecosystems healthy and only 0.02% of livestock losses are due to wolves. The current wolf population is less than 3% of what it once was. And those wolves occupy less than 10% of their historic range.

Those aren’t successful recovery statistics for any species. Make your public comment for gray wolves today.